Reading desk



Dec. 26, i922.

w. L. BLAIR. yREADING DESK. FILED JAN. I9, 1922.

2 .SHEETS-SHEET 2 l INVENTOR. VKL. BLA/R VILLABZ L. BLAR, 03E DENVER. GOLORADQ READNG DESK.

To @ZZ whom 'ttf/nay concern: e j

Be it known that l, l/VILLIAM L. BLAIR, a citizen 'of the United States, `residing at Denver, in the county` of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful .improvementsin Reading Desks. of which the following is specilication.y

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in reading desks and. its principal object .is to provide` a portable device of `light and practical construction which is particularly adapted to support a book in a position so that it may be con- `venently read and handled by a person seated in a chair or reclining on a bed or lounge. i i l Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above described character which is capable ofsupporting books of different sizes upon the seat of a` chair or the surface of a bed without the use of fastening means and which thereby is adapted for ready adjustment to vary the distance of the book from the eyes of the reader.

Another object of my `invention is to provide in a reading desk of the type above refererd to, a book-supportlwhich is` adjustable to vary the angle of inclinationat which a book is held thereon; a further object is to so construct the book-support' that it may be adapted to hold books of dilierent thicknesses in an open condition without integrate adjustment, and still other objects reside in details of construction all of which will be fully disclosed in the course of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

ln the drawings kin the severaliviews of which corresponding parts are similarly designated, e `v Figure l is a perspective representation of a person seated in an easy chair, showing the reading desk of the present invention in its operative position; v j

Figure 2, a perspectiveview of the reading desk drawn toalarger scale;

Figure 3, a plan view of the device drawn to a still larger scale; i

Figure 4i, a section taken on the line elf-ei, Figure 3; and j Figure 5, a rear elevation of the `desk looking in the direction of the arrowA, Figure 3.

Referring more specifically to the draw-v V ings, my improved-reading desk comprises a book-rest which in its preferred form, is

composed of a back-board 5 and a troughlike supporting member 6 at the lower edge thereof.

rij

metal in any suitable size and form Vand the supporting memberis preferably composed of thin pliable metal so that it may be readily bent by ringer pressure to kconform with the tlncknessiof the book supported between its sides. i

The longitudinal edge of the supportingmember is rolled as at 7, to provide a straight-edged ridge which reinforces the structure and which may contact with the leaves of book without a cidental injury. l I i The back-board is mounted in a slanting position uponua supporting frame 8, the distinctive 'feature of which resides in a pair of substantially parallel elongated feet 9 which project forwardly of the book-rest to the tent.

The frame as shown in the drawings, is for simplicity and lightness ofconstruction, madeof a single piece of wire,\but l desire it understood ythat itmay be con@ structed of `different material and in a dif-` ferent y manner within the spirit lof my inf defined 1n the hereunto appended e vention, as claims. f i

The/.elongated feet 9 made by doubling the wire in U-shaped form, are connected at their rearends beneath the back-board by cross pieces i0 and ll which extend loosely through clevises lfastened aty the under- JL.he back-boardmay be made of" wood or' Vchance of ac.-

greater part of their longitudinal ex.

side ofthe board for their pivotal connection therewith. i A

The feet are weighted at their forward ends by pieces of metal l2 placed between the spaced members of the doubled wire and they `may be providedwith sleeves madeof rubber, felt or other soft material as shown at ljand let iii-Figure a, to prevent injury tothe parts of an. article of furniture with which the reading' desk engages.

rlhe bottom-members of thel feet may be longitudinallycurved, as shown in .Figure 2i,

to a cushion or `other lrounded surface on which the device `is supported, 'and' the in herent resiliency of the metal of which the supporting frame is made, permits of its be` `ing deformed tovary the angl/e fof inclination of the boolnrest, as indicated in broken lines in the same ligure of the drawings.

ln the use of my invention, the reading desk is placed on a cha-1r or bed so as to icov straddle the lap or other part of the body of a person occupying the same in a sitting or reclining position. The forwardly projecting feet of the supporting frame per Init of the bookrest being brought to within readingv distance from the eyes of the user and they provide conjointly a firm and stable support for the device and a book placed thereon, upon thel seat of a chair or the surface cfa bed or couch, as the case may be. y n.

The weights at the forward ends of the feet over-balance the backboard` and the book even though the device is placed par tially beyond the front `edge of a chair-seat or other support, and the adjustability of the board allows of its being placed at different angles of inclination, as hereinbefore described.

The desk while holding a book in convenient position for reading, gives to the user perfect freedom to change the position of the legs or other partsof the bodyand it permits of the hands being employed in different occupations, as for example, sewing or knitting.

My invention is furthermore of particular value to convalescent invalide whose strength is not suiiicient to hold a book in an elevated position for any length of time.

The pliable supporting member at the lower edgeof the back-board may be made integral therewith or it may be made of a separate piece of rnetal and fastened by screws, rivets, or other suitable means,

rThe member provides a strong and rigid support for the book; it is well adapted to hold the leaves of the open book in position, andit-s `pliability permits of its being adjusted to books of different thicknesses by mere finger-pressure.

lt will be understood, inthis connection, thatthe forward side of the supporting member is suliiciently low to notobstruct the lower lines of the readinginatter ron the pages of the book and that its rolled edge engages the leaves just enough to hold thein in place and not too high to interferewith vtheir being turned by hand without lifting the book to any inconvenient extent.,

Having thus described invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Il. A. reading desk comprising a frame and a book-rest adjustably supported thereon` in ,a slanting position, said fraine` including elongated feet which project forwardly for a substantial distance beyond the lower, edge of the book-rest whereby to' counter-balance a book supported thereon.

2. A reading desk comprising a wire frame including .elongated feet and cross piecesat the rearward ends thereof, and a slanting book rest pivotally connected with said cross pieces, said feet progecting forwardly of the lower edge of said book rest counter-balance a book on said rest, weights carried at the forward ends of said feet to better overbalance the weight of the bool: rest and a book thereon, the opposite sides of said V.frame and the feet thereof being spaced apart to conjointlyvr support the des on a chair seat orpother surface at opposite` sides of a reader occupying the sanie.

4i. A reading desk as characterized, coniprising a frame formed to provide spaced forwardly and horizontally elongated foot portions and angularly disposed portions rising froin the rear ends thereof, and a forwardly slanting book-rest pivotallyniounted on the upper ends of said singularly disposedportions, said foot portions being extended for a substantial distance beyond the fon ward edge of said book-rest whereby to counter-balance a book supported thereon.

5. A. reading desk as characterized, coniprising a fraine formed to provide spaced forwardly and horizontally elongated foot portions and angularly disposed portions rising from the rear ends thereof, and a forwardly slanting book-rest pivotally rh'ounted` on the upper ends of said angularly disposed portions, said Aranie being linherently deformable whereby to effect `an angular adjustment of said book-rest;

reading desk as characterized7 coniprising a formed cfa single lengthof bendable wire and shaped to provide spaced parallel and horizontally elongated foot portions and vertically disposed portions rising from the rear ends thereof, cross-connections Aextending between the complementari of the vertically disposed portions, and a slanting book-rest pivotally mounted on said cro connections, the vertical portions of said frame being inherently deformable wher -by to effect a desired angular adjustment to said book-rest.

ln testimony whereof l have allixed; my signature. y

lfVlLLlfkll/l L. BLAIR.

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